Beauty and the Bodyguard

Chapter 29 - Inevitability

It was study hall, and Zhong Pinliang walked to Lin Yi's seat. He tapped on the desk in an effort to intimidate him.

"What is it?" Lin Yi asked dully as he raised his head, a hint of impatience in his eyes.

Kang Xiaobo turned his head, having heard the exchange. Zhong Pinliang was simply not someone Lin Yi should be messing with.

"Come with me if you have balls." Pinliang said, very full of himself.

"I'm studying, sorry." Lin Yi replied as he turned his attention back to his math textbook.

"Scared now, are we? Pussy." Zhong Pinliang said as he turned around, heading back to his seat. "You can't run forever. I'll be waiting after school."

"Dude, how the hell did you manage to piss that guy off?!" Xiaobo whispered after Pinliang left. "He's not someone you wanna be messing with, maybe there's some kind of misunderstanding?"

Lin Yi could only smile bitterly. Misunderstanding..? Why would I ever wanna piss him off, it's all because of Mengyao!

But that wasn't something he could just say to Xiaobo. "It's nothing. Probably because I stepped on Zhang Naipao when he tried to trip me, I guess."

"Ah!" Xiaobo frowned, worried. "You won't get away easy then, the guy never forgets. So Zhong Pinliang's coming at you for his sake, huh.."

"It's all the same to me, let them do what they want. We're in school, there's only so much he could do to me." Lin Yi shrugged in response- Zhong Pinliang was still just a student, at the end of the day.

After all, there was that time where he went through a war, surviving under a sky of bullets on a daily basis. An enemy like Pinliang was nothing more than a kid to Lin Yi at this point- it was why he refrained from injuring Pinliang at all in the episode earlier, only pranking him a little instead.

The little delinquent would be sleeping in a coffin if Lin Yi decided to hit him for real.

"Only so much he could do to you..?" Xiaobo sighed. Lin Yi was a newcomer, and it was only natural for him to be ignorant of the situation around here. "Zhong Pinliang's group rule this school, Lin Yi. Many of the students who cross them get beaten up so bad they take a few days off school!"

"That bad?" Lin Yi didn't expect that from Zhong Pinliang- it was indeed a bit too cruel.

"That's right! Man, I should've warned you sooner..!" Xiaobo sighed. "You'd probably be off the hook already if you said something nice when he confronted you just now, but……"

"But what?" Lin Yi asked interestedly.

"But it's real complicated now!" Xiaobo replied suddenly. "What the hell's with that Zhang Naipao, it's just stepping on someone, what's the big deal? And he's the one who attacked you first… is he a freaking girl or something? He even looks like a girl, fuck! Pulling Zhong Pinliang out for something like this!"

"It's fine, let them do what they want. Don't worry man, I'm not that easy a target you know." Lin Yi said with a pat on Xiaobo's shoulder.

Xiaobo was about to say something, but decided otherwise instead.

The inevitable came right before the final 'big class' started, and Zhong Pinliang made his way to Lin Yi's desk once more.

The 'big class' was a one and a half hour study hall, like in many other schools, starting thirty minutes after 4:30 pm, when school ended.

"Come with me if you're a man." Zhong Pinliang's taunt had leveled up, it seemed, getting past 'if you have balls' already.

Lin Yi, naturally, was a man, but he wasn't about to be insulted by a petty taunt like this. The guy seemed the type to never let go of him until things were concluded, and Lin Yi recognized that.

"Fine, I'll come." Lin Yi nodded as he stood up.

A lot of his classmates weren't out of the room yet, and none of them missed the two instances where Zhong Pinliang visited Lin Yi's desk. They all stared intently and gossiped among themselves the moment Lin Yi gave his consent, assuming that he didn't understand how things worked around here, somehow managing to piss off the school's conqueror.

Most of the students, however, pitied Lin Yi.

"I'll come with you!" Xiaobo announced, as if he'd made a huge decision. Everyone turned to him as he stood.

It was quite the internal struggle- he'd just met Lin Yi today, but they got along well. A close friend was rare in the dry days of twelfth grade.

Zhong Pinliang was a big shot in the school, and he wasn't someone Xiaobo was able to stand up to. All he could do at this point was stay on the sidelines and try his best to soften the conflict.

"The fuck? You're tired of life, Kang Xiaobo, standing up for that shit!" Zhong Pinliang was enraged- a boy from his class going against him for some newcomer? It was an insult, an insult to his place in the class!!

The pressure thickened as Xiaobo stood in the center of everyone's attention, but he didn't back down. "Zhong Pinliang, Lin Yi's new here- he doesn't know the rules… give him a chance…"

"Woah, woah! Fucking lecturing me now, are you?! Who the fuck do you think you are?" Zhong Pinliang exploded. 'Doesn't know the rules?' The guy fucking pissed all over him! He wasn't about to forgive Xiaobo's attitude toward what Lin Yi did to him. "Maybe you should come with us, since you're such a hero? Fuck, I'll change my fucking family name if I don't take care of you two today!"

Xiaobo trembled slightly, his face pale- he had always been the good student type, and as much as a manly guy he was, he hadn't so much as lay a punch on someone before!

Lin Yi didn't need Xiaobo's help, but was nevertheless very touched by the friendship he displayed. He reached out and patted his friend on the shoulder. "Don't worry, let's go together!"

Xiaobo's courage revitalized upon hearing his words, convincing himself that it was just a simple beating, at most- it wasn't a big deal. With that in mind, he puffed his chest up and followed Zhong Pinliang out to the school roof.

Xiaobo's puffed up chest and heroic face only served to agitate Zhong Pinliang further, his teeth gritting in anger. The traitor had hell to pay.

Chapter 30 - Killing Violence With Violence

"Yao Yao, look! Shield Guy's going to the rooftop with Zhong Pinliang! You wanna go look?" Chen Yushu said as she turned to Mengyao, unable to hold the excitement in any longer.

"Not going." Mengyao rejected as she continued memorizing the day's English vocab, the washroom scene flashing in her mind once more upon hearing Lin Yi's name.

"Come onnn, let's go!" Yushu pushed, unyielding. "There's nothing to do now anyway!"

"Just go yourself! Why should I go see what that guy's doing?" Meng Yao snapped. "Why are you always so fixated over him, are you in love with that farmer?!"

"No!!! Don't be ridiculous!" Yushu's face reddened as she retorted. "Who'd fall in love with him? I just wanna see them fight!"

"Then go yourself- I'm not , that's for sure." Mengyao said, resolved.

"Come onnnnn Yao Yao!! He's your study companion you know! What if he gets beat up beyond repair, you'd lose face you know!"

"Oh my god, Shu! How are you so annoying???" Mengyao wasn't in the mood for studying anymore, thanks to Yushu. "Jeez, fine! I'll go with you, okay?"

"Hehe, let's go!" Delighted, Yushu pulled Mengyao's hand and ran up to the rooftop. "Hope we haven't missed anything yet!"

Zhong Pinliang and his group, on the other hand, were popping their knuckles as they surrounded Lin Yi and Xiaobo, grinning evilly. Zhong Pinliang was much the thug as he stuffed a cigarette in his mouth. Xiaofu lit it up with a clack as his boss faced off with Lin Yi.

Pinliang inhaled a deep mouthful of smoke, and shot it all out on Lin Yi's face. "You little fucker, let's see how tough you are now! Why don't you pull your water gun out again, huh? Come pee on me again, why don't you!"

"If you're after me because of that thing yesterday, then fine, I'll admit that it was my fault." Lin Yi replied dully. "But what happened today has nothing to do with me."

"Hoh?? Willing to bow down now, I see." Zhong Pinliang was enjoying every moment of his opponent's surrender, but it wasn't enough. "Too fucking bad! Also, what happened today has nothing to do with you? You're insane!!! Just drop the damned act already, dude!!"

"You were the one standing behind me- there were plenty of urinals, you just had to line up behind me!" Lin Yi responded seriously.

"I've had enough of your shit- I won't let you go even if you apologize, anyway, so fine. Get him, Xiaofu." Zhong Pinliang ordered with a wave of his hand.

"Heh. Coming right up!" Xiaofu grinned as he picked up a stool leg, walking over to Lin Yi.

Lin Yi was genuinely a little apologetic for kicking Zhong Pinliang for nothing yesterday, but it seemed that talking was useless for a brute like him. He had to kill violence with violence.

"You little shit, seriously, you could've pissed off anyone else- you just had to choose Liang Bro!!" Xiaofu said as he swung the stool leg at Lin Yi.

Zhong Pinliang, on the other hand, was smoking gleefully, his mood pleasant. That's what you get for crossing me.

He'd already pictured in his mind Lin Yi's blood spattering all over the floor, and was licking his lips excitedly at the thought.

A smack sounded after Xiaofu's swing, but Pinliang saw no blood spattering. Upon a closer look he realized that Lin Yi had caught the stool leg in his hand.

Xiaofu frowned, attempting to pull the stool leg out from Lin Yi's grip, panicking when it didn't budge at all.

"Xiaofu, what the hell are you doing?" Pinliang scolded, unaware of Xiaofu's troubles.

"Liang Bro! He's kinda strong!" Xiaofu replied.

"Naipao, help him out!" Zhong Pinliang was displeased once more. So the little shit had a few tricks; most students were already overwhelmed with fear just by arriving at this rooftop.

"Lin Yi, look out!" Xiaobo yelled as he saw Naipao charge at the preoccupied Lin Yi, broomstick in hand.

Lin Yi expected a student's fight to be a little gentler than this, but here they were pulling out stool legs and broomsticks- these were serious weapons they're dealing with…

Worried that Lin Yi would get overwhelmed, Xiaobo decided to charge at Naipao, who was bursting with rage at how the silent kid in class dared go up against him. He decided to switch targets and take care of Xiaobo first.

Lin Yi had a good idea of how strong Xiaobo was- the way he approached the enemy showed that the guy had no experience in fighting whatsoever- Him coming up with him was only due to sheer friendship.

Xiaobo's heart was pounding as he engaged himself in his first fight, unsure of what to do, while Naipao only stared at the idiot as he swung his fists about with closed eyes. The guy was gonna get himself killed.

With a grin, Naipao swept the broomstick in Xiaobo's direction, and Lin Yi decided that it was time to end things. He didn't want Xiaobo to get destroyed for his sake, after all.

At that thought, Lin Yi pushed his arm forward, sending Xiaofu reeling. He then followed it with a kick, and Xiaofu found himself writhing in pain on the floor an instant later, holding his burning stomach instead of the leg stool.

The barbeque he had for lunch churned, and he wanted to puke.

Xiaobo opened his eyes as he felt a wind blow past him, only to see a descending broomstick aimed at his head. It's over, he thought- it's all over!

Xiaobo remembered his mother back home, his father in the factory, and his sister at work… How was he supposed to pay for the medical fees…

A smack sounded, and Xiaobo's world spun.

"Gaah-!" A scream woke him up, and Xiaobo patted the top of his head, finding it unharmed- Zhang Naipao was rolling around on the floor, his forehead covered in blood!

Lin Yi understood his own strength, and he knew to avoid hitting the temple and the back of the head. The forehead was a stronger part of the skull- a stool leg wouldn't do too much damage to it other than drawing some blood, or causing a slight concussion.

Naturally, he held back- Naipao's brain would have spilled out elsewise.